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Re: Re:Things Amtrak could have used a tiny fraction of?
Author: BOB2
Date: 05-07-2014 - 20:43
Bob,
Actually, Dr. Ron Scheck, from UNM Las Cruces, put together a plan back in the 80's that showed the only way for Amtrak to ultimately cover costs would require about a 7 fold increase in service levels (operating hours), with an emphasis particularly on about 20 multicity corridors, where sufficient demand, and significant economies of scale. The problem is that we have never had the /5evel of investment even on our most successful corridors to offer those service level.
In the high speed fiasco, we are spending about 2.5 billion and will have about first 20 miles completed and a Station in downtown SFO, and no passengers, with no likely service from nowhere to nowhere.
The same amount spent on LOSSAN south, would have completed a fully double tracked, grade 90-110 mph corridor, that could offer half hourly service, with the current multistep schedule running under two hours one way, and a non-stop could run in under an hour and a half, already serving over 15,000 local and intercity rail passengers, in a region with gridlock, and 21 million potential riders.
Since much of our government has become a giant contract steering racket, in exchange for billions in so-called "campaign contributions, from these same contractors, we seem to get a lot less of what we need, and a lot more of what we don't.
Actually, Dr. Ron Scheck, from UNM Las Cruces, put together a plan back in the 80's that showed the only way for Amtrak to ultimately cover costs would require about a 7 fold increase in service levels (operating hours), with an emphasis particularly on about 20 multicity corridors, where sufficient demand, and significant economies of scale. The problem is that we have never had the /5evel of investment even on our most successful corridors to offer those service level.
In the high speed fiasco, we are spending about 2.5 billion and will have about first 20 miles completed and a Station in downtown SFO, and no passengers, with no likely service from nowhere to nowhere.
The same amount spent on LOSSAN south, would have completed a fully double tracked, grade 90-110 mph corridor, that could offer half hourly service, with the current multistep schedule running under two hours one way, and a non-stop could run in under an hour and a half, already serving over 15,000 local and intercity rail passengers, in a region with gridlock, and 21 million potential riders.
Since much of our government has become a giant contract steering racket, in exchange for billions in so-called "campaign contributions, from these same contractors, we seem to get a lot less of what we need, and a lot more of what we don't.
